• Tseng's off season training readies her for Australia LPGA Tour - 1 hour 19 min ago

    LPGA.com caught up with Yani Tseng for a quick Q&A. Tseng talks about her off-season and what she's looking forward to in Australia.

    LPGA: How much time did you take off from golf and what did you do? Tseng: I took off about three weeks and just relaxed. I came back to Orlando on Christmas day. I then spent a couple of days in L.A. and I went to Lake Tahoe to ski. I then went to Las Vegas for New Years. That was a lot of fun. There was so many people there. In three days in Las Vegas I watched four shows.

    I came back to Orlando on January 1st and rested a couple of days before starting practice. I’ve been working with my coach. We’ve been working on changes with my swing to get it improved and more consistent.

    LPGA: Did you set some goals for 2012? Tseng: It was hard. I think my new goal is to get stronger. I want my swing to be more consistent. Maybe I can improve my mental status. I’ve been thinking of winning some tournaments and be Rolex Player of the Year. Everybody is working hard every year and they try to achieve Player of the Year so it’s one of my goals. I will continue to work hard on the things I can improve on.

    LPGA: How did you keep in shape during the off season? Tseng: I’ve been working hard. My trainer is here and my physiotherapist is here. I work out six days a week so I’ve been pretty tired. I can’t wait for the season to start in Australia. I can go make new friends on the Tour.

    LPGA: What is the key to playing well at Royal Melbourne? Tseng: I watched the President’s Cup and it was so fun. The greens look so tough and I love Melbourne. I love to go back there. We stay in a nice hotel and go site seeing after I play. It’s great fun.

    LPGA: What are your favorite things to do while in Australia? Tseng: I like to go to the restaurants on the river. We sit outside and have a nice dinner and just watch all the people go through. It’s a beautiful view there.

  • Volvik the latest LPGA partner to enhance sponsorship LPGA Tour - 1 hour 43 min ago

    VOLVIK THE LATEST LPGA PARTNER TO ENHANCE SPONSORSHIP Korean golf ball company one of several existing partners to expand partnership

    DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA, February 7, 2012 - The LPGA today announced that Volvik, the Korean golf ball company, is now a Marketing Partner of the Ladies Professional Golf Association, the Symetra Tour, LPGA-USGA Girls Golf and the LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals. Highlights of the deal include exposure on LPGA Tour telecasts on Golf Channel, exclusivity as the Official Golf Ball of both the Symetra Tour and LPGA-USGA Girls Golf, and Presenting Sponsorship of the Teaching and Club Professional’s Front Row Experience.

    “A major goal of the LPGA is to showcase the colorful personalities and distinct style of our players,” said LPGA Chief Marketing Officer Jon Podany. “Volvik’s unique style of colored golf balls positions perfectly with our ‘See Why It’s Different Out Here’ campaign. Volvik is a strong supporter of the LPGA and several of our players, and we love how they bring ‘color’ to the game.”

    The partnership includes the extension of Volvik’s sponsorship of the “Volvik Shot of the Day” which will air on Golf Channel during domestic LPGA Tour telecasts.

    Starting with the 2012 season, Volvik will launch marketing efforts on the LPGA’s official developmental tour, the Symetra Tour. As one of the leaders in the colored performance golf ball market, Volvik will showcase its trademark product on the driving range at each domestic event as the Symetra Tour’s exclusive range ball and will be included in gift packages at several tournament Pro-Ams. The partnership will also expand the company’s support for Tour players. Volvik will have a team of five Symetra Tour professionals who will serve as brand ambassadors and will also introduce a player incentive award that recognizes a top player who uses Volvik in a statistical category for their performance throughout the season.

    Volvik will also begin its involvement with the LPGA Foundation, the LPGA’s charitable division, and has been named the Official Golf Ball for LPGA-USGA Girls Golf.  In addition to gaining exposure through both digital and print outlets within Girls Golf, Volvik will uphold its philanthropic mission by donating 2,500 golf balls to be used at Girls Golf sites and programs throughout the year.

    The deal also activates Volvik’s partnership with the LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals (T&CP) and provides Presenting Sponsorship rights for the “LPGA Front Row Experience Presented by Volvik.” The program offers fans the unique opportunity to get inside the ropes to demo equipment and receive free instruction from an LPGA Teaching Professional on the tournament driving range. Volvik will be provided with onsite signage and product sampling at participating events, as well as a digital branding and marketing presence on LPGA.com and through direct membership contact.

    Earlier this month, the LPGA announced a 2012 tournament schedule that features five new tournaments – four of which are in North America – and $6 million more in tournament purses. Additionally, LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan announced that the Tour had renewed 10 of 11 corporate marketing partners with expiring contracts in 2011. The Tour also launched new ad spots last week featuring 12 different LPGA players as part of the continuing “See Why It’s Different Out Here” marketing campaign, which continues to enga

  • This Week with Karrie Webb LPGA Tour - 2 hours 7 min ago
    As Player of the Week on LPGA.com, Karrie Webb gives a peek into her week as told to a LPGA Media Official in Australia.

    This Week with Karrie Webb - February 7th

    Tuesday afternoon -- It’s been very busy here in Australia. I got in to Melbourne on Friday night and worked Saturday with my sports psychologist, who is based down here in Melbourne. So we did a lot of good work on Saturday. Sunday the weather was really bad with winds near 30-45 mph and I tried to play a few holes but it was a bit of a disaster so I gave up on that pretty quickly. I was supposed to go to the cricket match on Sunday night but it rained. They eventually played the cricket match but by the time they made a decision, I decided that I wasn’t going to head over there. And then on Monday, I practiced and played with a couple of the young girls with the Australian amateur squad because I’m involved with that sort of thing with the Karrie Webb Series.

    I was really excited about the announcement last year that we were coming back to Australia after a 12-year absence. I think it’s the boost that women’s golf needed in Australia as it just has been very stagnant for a long time. The LET (Ladies European Tour) has really supported this event but with the LPGA coming and then having it at Royal Melbourne, which has never before hosted a women’s event on the Composite course, I think it’s the spark that women’s golf needed in Australia.

    For us to play the Composite course here is a real treat. Members I think play the Composite Course four times a year, so it’s a very rare opportunity. I just don’t think in general around the world that we get to play courses that are rated very highly as the best courses in the world. You talk about Royal Melbourne and that would come up in the top-10 on a lot of people’s lists.

    Last night, I received an honorary membership to Royal Melbourne Golf Club, which was a thrill. I found out around September that they were interested in doing that. It was a great dinner. I’m not really a fan of public speaking, which I knew I had to make a speech last night but it was great. The members were really, really excited to have me a part of that. There are only four other honorary members in the club. It’s a pretty elite list with Peter Thompson, Greg Norman, Kat Nagle and Bruce Green, who is the head pro here, so it’s an honor to be a part of that.

    Read more about Karrie Webb>>

  • Second Desert Swing proposed Sky Sports | Golf News - 2 hours 29 min ago
    Tournament committee chairman Thomas Bjorn says European Tour officials would like to launch a second 'Desert Swing'.
  • McIlroy Feats Are Spurring on Young Dane Olesen New York Times | Golf News - 2 hours 39 min ago
    Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen, one of the hottest young prospects on the European Tour, believes the achievements of world number two Rory McIlroy can inspire him to a breakthrough first victory.

  • Kerr Signs with Hana Financial Group LPGA Tour - 2 hours 40 min ago
    HANA FINANCIAL GROUP SIGNS LPGA SUPERSTAR CRISTIE KERR AS GLOBAL AMBASSADOR

    Los Angeles, CA. February 7, 2012. Hana Financial Group, Korea’s second largest financial institution, announces it has signed LPGA professional golfer Cristie Kerr as global ambassador for the 2012 golf season. As Hana Financial Group continues to enhance its global footprint, the partnership with Kerr is designed to raise brand awareness, especially in the American sports and business community.

    Hana Financial Group also announces that a Korean regulator has recently approved the institution’s purchase of Korea Exchange Bank. With the purchase, Hana Financial Group also has promoted Yong-Ro Yun to CEO of Korea Exchange Bank. Yun joined Hana Financial Group as vice chairman in 2010. Prior to that, he served as CEO of Industrial Bank of Korea.

    Kerr made a special stop to Los Angeles to join Yun for the announcement on her way to Melbourne for the Australian Open, kicking off the 2012 golf season.

    “We are pleased to announce our partnership with such a revered athlete as Cristie Kerr,” said Mr. Yong-Ro Yun, current vice chairman of Hanna Financial Group. He went on to say, “As Hana Financial Group continues to raise awareness of its services in the US, we are happy to have an ambassador that is so accomplished and respected in her field.”

    “I am proud to represent a great corporation like Hana Financial Group, whose brand and corporate leadership stand for integrity, hard work and excellence, qualities I admire and aspire to exhibit,” said Kerr. “Hana Financial Group also has demonstrated an unwavering support for women's golf and charitable causes, making this partnership a strong fit.”

    Kerr has been one of the top female golf performers and one of the most popular players on tour over the past decade. Kerr's achievements include 15 professional career wins, including two Major Championships. She rose to the #1 spot in the official world ranking in the 2010 season and has been ranked in the top ten for a remarkable 407 consecutive weeks, leading her to become the 4th highest money winner of all time in women’s professional golf.

     

  • Golf-McIlroy feats are spurring on young Dane Olesen (Reuters) Yahoo! Sports | Golf News - 2 hours 56 min ago
    Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen, one of the hottest young prospects on the European Tour, believes the achievements of world number two Rory McIlroy can inspire him to a breakthrough first victory.
  • Westwood eyes Dubai title Sky Sports | Golf News - 3 hours 5 min ago
    Lee Westwood is hoping to put two near misses behind him by finally winning this week's Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
  • ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open - Pre-tournament Notes and Interviews LPGA Tour - 3 hours 58 min ago

    ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open Royal Melbourne Golf Club, Composite Course Melbourne, Australia Pre-tournament notes and interviews February 7, 2012

    Yani Tseng, Rolex Rankings No. 1 and defending champion Cristie Kerr, Rolex Rankings No. 4 Morgan Pressel, Rolex Rankings No. 16 Karrie Webb, Rolex Rankings No. 19

     

    The 2012 LPGA season officially kicks off this week in Melbourne, Australia with the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open, as the LPGA returns to Australia for the first time in over a decade. And for the first time in its storied history, Royal Melbourne Golf Club will be the host of a women's professional golf event with 156 players competing this week for a $1.1 million purse.

    A total of six players in the top-10 in the Rolex Rankings will be competing this week at Royal Melbourne, including defending champion and Rolex Rankings No.1 Yani Tseng. Among those looking to challenge Tseng this week are Rolex Rankings No. 2 Suzann Pettersen, who is coming off a two-win season on the LPGA Tour in 2011, and No. 4 Cristie Kerr.

     

    Another year like 2011? Rolex Rankings No. 1 Yani Tseng will begin her quest this week to replicate a dominant 2011 season. First up for Tseng will be trying to capture the LPGA's season-opening event for the second straight season.

    Last year, Tseng won her first four worldwide events of the year on various tours including the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open, which at the time was an event on the Ladies European Tour, and the LPGA's 2011 season-opening Honda LPGA Thailand. Tseng captured seven LPGA Tour titles in 2011 and a total of 12 victories worldwide while establishing herself as the clear player to beat in women's golf. So what does Tseng hope to accomplish in 2012 following such a stellar 2011 season?

    “Hopefully it will be a good start for the year,” Tseng said. “I'll try to play my best every tournament. Last year is over. This is a new year for me. I have been working real hard in the offseason to change my swing a bit, to make it more consistent. I think I am ready for this year.”

    One thing that Tseng did during the offseason was to make a slight tweak to her swing. Her goal was to cut back on the amount of effort she needed to put into each swing yet still maintain her distance, after finishing first in driving average on the LPGA Tour in 2011.

    “I feel I am swinging easier and striking the ball better,” Tseng said. “Now I feel that if I swing 70-80 percent, the ball is still flying better than before. I always tried to swing really hard. Now I don't swing so hard but the ball still goes that far. I am very happy about that...I can still rip it. “

     

    Watch out for those greens: For most of the LPGA players, this week marks the first time that any of them have played the Composite course at Royal Melbourne since the club had never previously hosted a women's professional event. There were many rave reviews of the course that's been ranked as one of the top 10 in the world.

    And one aspect of the Royal Melbourne course that everyone took notice of right away was the challenging greens.

    “What a spectacular golf course,” said Cristie Kerr. “It is one of the best I've ever seen. The green complexes are so severe and so fast. You really have to know what you are doing out there, especially for the first week of the year.”

    Queensland native Karrie Webb acknowledged that these are the types of greens that the players don't see very often over the course of a season, typically at a U.S. Open style ven

  • Mum Tells Westwood to Say Sorry for Swearing New York Times | Golf News - 4 hours 3 min ago
    Lee Westwood was forced to apologise after his mum caught him swearing on live television at last week's Qatar Masters, the world number three said on Tuesday.

  • Tour Wants Second Desert Swing, Says Bjorn New York Times | Golf News - 5 hours 15 min ago
    European Tour officials are keen to launch a second 'Desert Swing' in the future, tournament committee chairman Thomas Bjorn said on Tuesday.

  • Golf-Tour wants second Desert Swing, says Bjorn (Reuters) Yahoo! Sports | Golf News - 5 hours 46 min ago
    European Tour officials are keen to launch a second 'Desert Swing' in the future, tournament committee chairman Thomas Bjorn said on Tuesday.
  • Ace Chopra doubles up at Pebble Sky Sports | Golf News - 6 hours 45 min ago
    Daniel Chopra enjoyed a practice round to remember at Pebble Beach on Monday as he made two holes in one ahead of the AT&T National.
  • Westwood apologizes for cussing in Qatar (AP) Yahoo! Sports | Golf News - 6 hours 54 min ago
    Lee Westwood knew he was in trouble when his mother gave him a call after his final round at the Qatar Masters. He was caught on television swearing after his tee shot on the 16th tee and the first person to call him on it was his mother. After his round of 3-under 69 for a tie for 12th, he said his mother heard the profanity and suggested he apologize.
  • Tseng ready to put swing into action in Australia (AP) Yahoo! Sports | Golf News - 8 hours 34 min ago
    Yani Tseng unleashed her new, more powerful swing at Royal Melbourne on Monday, playing nine holes of practice to hone the tweaks to her technique and familiarize herself with the sandbelt course that will host the Women's Australian Open this week. Tseng started 2011 with a title at the Women's Australian Open and went on to win a total of 12 tournaments, including two majors and seven on...
  • Tseng ready to put swing into action in Australia (AP) Yahoo! Sports | Golf News - 9 hours 37 min ago
    Yani Tseng has unleashed her new, more powerful swing in nine holes of practice at Royal Melbourne, honing the tweaks to her technique as she familiarized herself with the sandbelt course that will host the Women's Australian Open this week. Tseng started 2011 with a title at the Women's Australian Open and went on to win a total of 12 tournaments, including two majors and seven on the...
  • Rory, Darren win Laureus Awards Sky Sports | Golf News - 10 hours 17 min ago
    Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke have both added a Laureus Award to the major titles they each won last year.
  • Tour Report: Chopra bags two aces in Pebble practice (PGATOUR.com) Yahoo! Sports | Golf News - 16 hours 24 min ago
    Daniel Chopra made not one but two aces Monday in a practice round at Pebble Beach for the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Chopra first aced the par-3 seventh hole, which played to 103 yards Monday. Chopra holed out with a PING Tour-S Rustique 50-degree wedge. Ten holes later, at the 17th, Chopra made an [...]
  • Stanley has 'the best feeling ever' after first TOUR win PGA Tour - 17 hours 40 min ago
    At Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix on Monday, Kyle Stanley may as well have been a kid right out of college headed back to Bozeman, Mont., to his part-time job as a snowboard instructor.
  • Roundtable: When will Tiger win his next TOUR event? PGA Tour - 19 hours 18 min ago
    While Tiger Woods' victory at last December's Chevron World Challenge ended a personal winless streak that spanned two years, he still hasn't won an official PGA TOUR event since the 2009 BMW Championship.

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